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Marcomguy
08-26-2008, 04:18 PM
What business gifts do you give your clients/customers?

I've been handing out chocolate, but I feel it's time to do something different.

Also, do you give them at year-end only, or at other times during the year? I tend to do year-end only.

Blessed
08-26-2008, 05:30 PM
I do year end only and I make them cookies or homemade bread... but that doesn't work for most people :) My clients really like it though... :p

KristineS
08-26-2008, 05:32 PM
Food does seem to be popular. Cookies and candy and for some reason popcorn. I've never figured out popcorn as a holiday gift, but I've seen it quite a few times.

Some people also give out calendars for the next year embossed with their company name and information.

Marcomguy
08-26-2008, 07:39 PM
I remember, back when I was an employee, someone in the company getting this huge tin containing three kinds of popcorn. She received it every Christmas from the same vendor. That tin would last a couple of weeks. Eventually the popcorn would become stale and she would throw it out.

Cookies/bread/brownies sounds good. Maybe I'll try that this year.

KristineS
08-27-2008, 08:21 AM
We used to get the huge tins of popcorn when I worked a the television station. The first day or so it was kind of fun. After that it was just lots of popcorn.

orion_joel
08-29-2008, 02:31 AM
I think another common one is Wine, more then a few years, my father has ended up with anything up to half a dozen bottles or more of wine, from different companies giving gifts and such. Food seems to be less common then alcohol in Australia, not quite sure why, or maybe it is just the specific industry.

KristineS
08-29-2008, 08:19 AM
Wine and food are difficult as gifts, at least in my opinion. So many people have dietary restrictions or don't drink. That's why I almost think giving something more generic, like a calendar or something is better.

Blessed
08-29-2008, 09:28 AM
Wine and food are difficult as gifts, at least in my opinion. So many people have dietary restrictions or don't drink. That's why I almost think giving something more generic, like a calendar or something is better.

I agree - fortunately most of my customer's have an office full of people so everyone appreciates the cookies or bread and all of it can be eaten. However, I refuse to do popcorn... talk about an overrated office holiday gift!

I'd love to do calendars or some other ad specialty type gift but right now I'm going for what is cheapest!

KristineS
08-29-2008, 10:14 AM
I think it also has to do with how well you know your clients. If you work pretty closely with a small group of people you'll probably know who eats nuts and who's allergic and who drinks and who doesn't. That way you can tailor the gift to the preferences of the individual.

Business Attorney
08-29-2008, 11:51 AM
I have a client in the music industry who has produced and sells CDs containing compilations of local Chicago artists along various themes - jazz, blues, Irish music, etc... When the CDs were first issued, he was coming out with a new CD every year. Since the CD was both unique and Chicago-related, I thought it was an ideal gift.

KristineS
08-29-2008, 12:10 PM
That is a pretty cool idea David. I think that sort of gift is the kind people would keep and use again and again.

orion_joel
09-02-2008, 02:36 AM
I agree about being difficult gifts. I am kind of intrigued with the popcorn thing though, i do not think i have ever seen it done as a holiday gift as mentioned here, in Australia. I would have thought it would not be so much a professional gift, but i guess it kind of would depend on the way people perceive it as a gift.

KristineS
09-02-2008, 11:11 AM
I've never thought that popcorn was a particularly professional gift Joel, I just think it's an easy one. It's relatively inexpensive, and almost everyone likes popcorn, so it seems like a relatively safe bet as a gift.

I don't think giving popcorn causes people who receive it to have a better opinion of the company that gave the gift. At least that's been my experience.

BillR
09-10-2008, 09:12 AM
We give out various things. Different rules apply....

For our Federal/State government customers we have to maintain the gift limits set in law. Usually we do small gift baskets or throw pizza parties, etc. Those are popular.

For our standard customers we do an annual gift basket that costs about $100.

Then of course we have all of the standard little trinket gifts like pens, etc - tradeshow crap.

We also give out long sleeve t-shirts with our logo. Everyone gives away polo shirts - but long sleeve t-shirts are a little different and people love them. I've got 3 of them in my closet that I like to wear around the house and in the spring/fall for outdoors kinds of stuff.

Blessed
09-10-2008, 01:10 PM
I hardly ever wear short sleeve t-shirts anywhere but around the house but I wear long sleeve t-shirts everywhere - great idea!

BillR
09-10-2008, 09:24 PM
I hardly ever wear short sleeve t-shirts anywhere but around the house but I wear long sleeve t-shirts everywhere - great idea!

You reminded me about one more thing about that - lots of people (especially in IT) will wear Polo/golf shirts with vendor names on them to work but no where else.

If you REALLY want to drive customers to you you need to be in their head when they have free time at home to think. Yet another reason I like these :)

Evan
09-13-2008, 10:33 PM
I hardly ever wear short sleeve t-shirts anywhere but around the house but I wear long sleeve t-shirts everywhere - great idea!

I wear short-sleeved shirts (or polos) year-round. I'll wear long-sleeved on occasion, or if I'm actually to dress up in business attire. Otherwise I operate casually.

Blessed
09-14-2008, 12:27 AM
I wear short-sleeved shirts (or polos) year-round. I'll wear long-sleeved on occasion, or if I'm actually to dress up in business attire. Otherwise I operate casually.

I'm a bit cold natured - I even wear long sleeve shirts sometimes during the summer - outside it's hot, but inside it's usually cold from the AC... :) My husband is the opposite except that he wears plain baseball jersey type shirts everywhere all year round.